Teaser: Arabella!

Arabella was never meant to be anything more than a side project when I started working on it. I had no intention of publishing it. So to have it listed for pre-order now, it's kind of crazy to me. But I love this novella. Arabella is a flawed character, there's no doubt about that. She's flawed. She's naive. And she's impulsive. But she's also human - er, superhuman, really.

I'm not expecting a lot of sales once Arabella is officially released next month (yay!), but I'm hoping that the few people willing to give this story a chance will connect with Arabella in some way.

Anyway, enough of that! Onto the teaser:

Bitter Pill

Two days later…

I sat perched atop the building, crouched as I glanced over the brightly lit streets. The warm night air beat down upon me, instantly making me regret my choice to wear a leather ensemble.

Gwen and I used to always sneak out to the Keers building after training to getaway from my father’s watchful eye. Not that it ever made much of a difference, given the fact that the Keers building was only a block away from Bilson Corporations.

But it at least offered a false sense of freedom – just for a little while.

Now? The Keers building offered me a chance to relive those memories.

I rose to my feet with my arms spread at my sides, and closed my eyes.

Part of me wanted to jump, to experience the rush it would bring.

But I knew better than to draw attention to myself.

A person couldn’t disappear if they left behind a trail, I reminded myself.

A few things worth noting concerning Arabella:

1. It is told in two parts: Before & Now. This probably sounds a bit strange, I know, but it is needed. Since this is a one shot story, I needed to establish not only Arabella, but this world that she lives in, and make it feel believable. Splitting the story into two parts helped me to do so.
2. It is a superhero story when it comes down to it, but it's also about self-discovery and relationships.
3. It is a one shot, so don't expect a sequel. I'm trying to get into the habit of writing standalone stories for those that don't want to commit to a series (plus, after writing so many installments of the Emile Reed Chronicles, I'm eager for some standalone stories). There's a chance that, down the line, I may write a Gwen one shot, but that's still up in the air for now.
4. There are some Easter Eggs planted throughout the story. If you've read the Emile Reed Chronicles and Rare Talents, you should be able to spot some. ;)